Serie A, Sampdoria-Roma 0-1, goal by Mkhitaryan

Tenth consecutive useful match, fourth victory in the last five rounds: it had not happened to the Giallorossi since the final of the 2015-16 season, and this fact already explains the solidity of Mourinho’s group (which imposes one to zero at Ferraris), also confirmed against a Sampdoria that remains in dangerous ranking waters. He tried in every way not to be overwhelmed, but he paid for his insufficient offensive push at a distance. In the end, for the Giallorossi, the only discordant note remains the pain in the right shoulder after a previous game clash that forced Abraham out in the final.

The race

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On the match, exactly what Giampaolo perhaps feared happened: that in attack the blanket was short for Sampdoria, and from this derives the initial choice of the Dorian coach to join Sabiri to Caputo, with Sensi attacking midfielder. Mourinho lined up the announced formation, with his effective 3-4—2-1, even if at least at the start the guests started a bit too cautious. Sampdoria’s departure is more effective: after two minutes, Bereszynski takes advantage of a mistake by Zalewski, sinks to the right and serves Sensi, but the support of the attacking midfielder in the center is not exploited by Thorsby, who kicks badly and out of proportion. On the Giallorossi restart, ball to Audero, whose awkward postponement favors the guests, but Colley remedies. Lively game, played at a good pace, in what will later be the best phase of Giampaolo’s men in the first half, against an opponent who often resorts to tactical foul (Mkhitaryan, Pellegrini) as soon as Sampdoria finds an opening and creates superiority from median up. Long game in substantial balance. Ibanez hits oversize, Sabiri is shot down by Ibanez himself, immediately cautioned. There are no reverential fears of the Sampdoria, Roma are struggling to relax, also because Abraham is not well served, and retreats to look for the ball towards the midfield. Roma creates little, but Sampdoria fails to sting: at 21 ‘Caputo commits Rui Patricio to the ground. Odd game, full of interruptions, but at the first real lunge Roma manages to take the lead, when on a cross from the left of Zalewski, deflected by Thorsby in an attempt to anticipate Abraham, Mkhitaryan finds the passage from two steps on a loose ball and beats Audero. Sampdoria reacting with fury, but only gains a corner. On the developments of the corner Colley overwhelms Rui Patricio: so much fear but no damage for both. The advantage allows Roma to manage the game, without taking excessive risks. Indeed, he could even double on a crazy back pass by Bereszynski (38 ‘): Abraham senses and anticipates Audero, but is hasty at the moment of the shot and does not find the goal. Sabiri (41 ‘) on a free-kick kicks directly into the goal, but Rui Patricio is careful.

CHANGE OF STEP

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In the second half Giampaolo removes Sensi and inserts Quagliarella alongside Caputo, pulling back Sabiri in the role of attacking midfielder. Apparently, the Sampdoria game becomes more effective on the offensive level, but as soon as Roma finds the measures again, the Sampdoria suffer again. Roma, which have more quality, cover the field well and risk very little, managing the advantage with authority in the first quarter of an hour of play. Murru (14 ‘) anticipates in extremis a speed lunge Mkhitaryan-Pellegrini-Abraham, but the Giallorossi are always masters of the field. Giampaolo tries to rekindle his by inserting Vieira for Rincon in the median and Augello for Murru on the left. Sabiri (21 ‘) commits Rui Patricio to the ground, but more speed and fury would be needed, which Sampdoria does not seem to possess. There are huge spaces for Roma, Audero has to go outside the area to avoid the patatrac on Abraham. Trimboli (28 ‘) replaces Thorsby to give more depth to the game in between. It is a challenge that in the end seems to be unequal in terms of value: between 31 ‘and 33’ Roma an infinite ball always in control, with the Sampdoria unable to react. Sure, the zero one doesn’t allow for distractions, but the guests are in total control of the match. Mourinho removes Abraham and Zalewski (inside Shomurodov and Vina), but the game does not change, even if at 42 ‘on a Quagliarella shot, Smalling fooled Rui Patricio by a whisker. Hot final, with Roma trying to put the game to sleep, so much so that Pellegrini – replaced in recovery delays the exit from the field and takes an apparently useless yellow card, but perhaps not completely random since the next one is against Salernitana.